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Tips for the FCE Writing Section (B2 English)

By Fabio 6 Comments

Tips for the FCE Writing Section (B2 English)

Hey friend, how is life? In this blog post I’m going to review some useful insights to ace the Writing part of the FCE exam , also known as Cambridge English: First but also as First Certificate in English.

So you know already one fundamental notion: Cambridge Assessment English exams have as many titles as Daenerys Targaryen . 😂

This post looks in more depth at the Writing part but if you feel like having a broader vision of the FCE exam, here you have it –>  First Certificate in English (FCE): How to Ace it

To pass the exam is no easy feat and the Writing is certainly one of the hardest. Language conventions, style, lexicon … 😔 In the Reading and Use of English at least you only have to fill empty spaces :-/ in here, you have to compose a text from scratch.

You are given a few guidelines and you’re left with a blank space to scrabble in. No wonder some of us find this part to be difficult .

Well, it does not have to be: with the right preparation and tools, you can pass the exam with flying colours, FCE Writing included.

⚠️ WARNING: THIS POST IS NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED ⚠️

👎 Downside: you’re reading a lengthy piece . I couldn’t make it exhaustive and short at the same time, sorry.

👍 Upside: you do not need to look any further on the Internet. This <brag alert> is the most comprehensive guide available concerning the FCE Writing </brag alert>.

I invite you to put it in your Favourites in order to come back, every now and again, to explore the different parts and suggestions, as you happen to need them. 🔖

And now, let’s dive into the matter.

Cambridge English: First – The Writing section

You’re given 80 minutes for two different tasks:

  • Essay (compulsory for everybody).
  • Review, report, letter, email or article (you have to pick one of those proposed).

So, it makes forty minutes for each text. In reality, you can spend seventy minutes on one and ten on the other : it’s absolutely fine. In this time, you have to do it all:

  • Jot down ideas ,
  • brainstorm vocabulary you’d like to use,
  • blueprint the text, 🗺️
  • pass it on a fair copy,
  • checking GSP (Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation), 🔬 and
  • deliver it to the examiner.

Both texts have to be between 140 and 190 words long each.

Cambridge English: First: On paper or computer?

You can either go for the paper-based exam or for the computer-based exam : one of the two major differences between them lies indeed in the FCE Writing section.

In the paper-based exam, you write on, surprise surprise , paper . 📝 That means you have to do it the good old way: basically, draft first then neat copy. Thus, you have to factor in the time to do this all and make a final check round before to deliver it.

In the computer-based exam, you write on… (drum roll) … a digital screen . 💻 That means you don’t have to worry about initial draft and final draft : there won’t be crossing-outs, ink stains, bad handwriting. However, you still have white paper, pens and pencils in case you want to scribble some notes aside.

Also, if you go for the computer-based exam, you have some extra perks:

#1 You have a stopwatch right before your eyes, on top of the screen, flashing red when the time is about to end; ⏱️

#2 You also have a word counter , below the screen, so that you can keep your text length under control the whole time.

Are in essence the paper-based and the computer-based versions of the Writing the same? Absolutely the same . It’s just a different medium. If you feel like scrabbling ideas on paper , you can still do it: you are provided with blank paper and pens and pencils, whereas necessary, before the beginning of the exam.

So, should you go for the paper-based exam or the computer-based one? Whatever floats your boat. ⛵ Surprisingly, many candidates prefer the paper-based one.

Want to know more about the two formats? Read: Paper or Computer: Choose your Cambridge English Exam Format .

Cambridge English: First – Writing: Traps you should be aware of

Along these years in the field, I’ve seen many students underestimating this task. Why? Because they think they’re already able to write . Among the remarks I heard the most:

  • I’ve been sending emails in English in my job for years now, what need do I have to prepare?
  • I’m quite used keeping in touch with my Erasmus friends by sending emails and texting them 📱 , no need for further studies.
  • I read a lot in English: British newspapers, sport magazines, travel newsletters… it shouldn’t be hard to craft a few words-text.

There are sooooo many misconceptions here. 🤔

#1 Email is just one of the six options you may have in the FCE Writing section. Besides, you may be writing for a thousand years but doing it wrong.

#2 Texting and emailing informally a friend is NOT the same as to write an email with the required language and conventions to someone who’s not a friend. And again: email is just one of five options in the FCE writing; WhatsApp messages are not yet considered as a type of text from the Cambridge folks deserving to be introduced in any exam.

#3 Reading is the compulsory starting point if you want to write 📚, but then, there’s more work to do.

The truth of the matter is the following, beautifully articulated by Benjamin Franklin:

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

For the great majority of us, real life just does not provide the type of preparation you need to pass the exam . Who do you send an essay to? What do you write a report for? OK, I think I made myself clear on this point. Now, an interesting question.

Any textbook to prepare myself for the FCE Writing task?

Is there any book you’d recommend to improve specifically the Writing section of the FCE exam? Yes, there is this one:

Be VERY mindful of an irrefutable fact: if you know how to write, speaking will follow .

This is an all too often overlooked concept: a horde of learners presume talking well in a given language is all about pronouncing right and training amply the talking itself. Wrong!

First, you need to get your linguistic act together: having something to say, being able to tell it in an articulated matter ; pronunciation, prosody, rhetoric come later. Writing is to speaking as walking is to running.

Want to know more about the Speaking part? Read: FCE Certificate: A Recipe for Success in FCE Speaking .

Now, let’s dig into the kinds of Writing you will encounter in the B2 First exam, one by one.

FCE Writing: Essay

The Essay is the only component of Part 1 of the Writing. It’s compulsory . In it, you have to talk about a topic, mentioning two points you’re provided plus a point of your own. 🖊️ In other words, in an essay you give info, you explain your viewpoint, you compare and contrast.

The consumption of dietary supplements has been growing exponentially and various voices call for a more stringent regulation about them. What do you think?

Write about:

  • The online sales of such supplements;
  • health hazards associated with their consumption;
  • … … … … (your own idea).

So, in less than 200 words you have to talk about the two points offered plus a point of your making.

What are some basic principles you should follow?

  • You have to show a B2 lexicon : tablets, superfoods, nutraceutical, etc;
  • the composition must be structured in paragraphs , linked one another with proper connectors ;
  • you have to tap into a language portfolio to express comparisons, explanations, agreements and disagreements, personal views.

What do I mean in point 3 ? Making use of:

  • Although, despite, even if;
  • firstly, to begin with, first of all;
  • on the one hand, on the other hand; f
  • or example, for instance;
  • additionally, on top of that; to summarise, in conclusion…

You got me.

How would I organize my time ? Ideally, I would:

  • Budget some three-four minutes to take note of all the useful words and sentences I may use to show how good is my English,
  • then another couple of minutes to draft a roadmap of my text,
  • do the actual writing, the bulk of it,
  • then I’ll eventually sum it all up and conclude,
  • to eventually make a last check round to seek and destroy any mistakes.

A word of advise (or two) (maybe three):

#1 Keep your words under control.

The maximum limit of words is quite tight: if you don’t pay attention, you’ll end up writing twice as much in order to cover all the points.

#2 Keep your brainstorming skills sharp.

Far from the exam, is a good thing to do the following exercise. Open up a newspaper, pick an article: what topic is it? Nuclear wastes? Climate change? Online banking security breaches? 🔓

Perfect! Pick them, write them on paper then brainstorm for a few minutes what words and structures to use in the essay .

#3 Save some time for the end.

It is useful to allow, at the very end of your 80 minutes, some spare 3-4 minutes to come back to the essay , to read it again in search for mistakes again and incongruences. Why?

Because after forty minutes of being on top of the essay, you may not be able any more to spot such undesired intruders. The distance given by half an hour and attention on something else, gives a useful semi-fresh perspective on it .

What is that I shouldn’t say but it is better for me to say?

#1 Keep it simple : don’t play Alain de Botton if your name is Pedro Antuñéz or Giovanni Rossi. Better something less sophisticated but correct than something amazingly conceived but poorly rendered on paper.

#2 Care your GSP (Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation) : there is no point in being Malcolm Gladwell 🦱 if you have a first grader’s GSP.

#3 Never forget that you’re not being evaluated on the originality of your ideas.

If the essay is about recycling, you don’t have to quote a pioneering study from the University of Petropavlovsk concerning the reuse of coffee pods in subarctic oceanic aquaculture.

What you have to do, in your FCE Writing, is to show that you have a B2 English , not a PhD in the subject of the essay.

And now, it’s time for you to get stained with some ink. Read the assignment below –> do it yourself –> check how I would have done it. ✒️

A real-life example of an Essay

Consider the following assignment.

More needs to be done to encourage children to spend time healthily outdoors. Do you agree? (140-190 words)

Write about: 1# Benefits and disadvantages of children’s outdoor activities 2# Recommendations for parents and teachers 3# Your own ideas

💬 Done? Very well. So, there are MANY ways to write this essay, but a decent one is the following:

Children spending time healthily outdoor

First of all, I wholeheartedly agree with the statement, but I will try to describe all the pros and cons related to the matter, before coming to conclusions.

To begin with, it’s easy to come up with several reasons why our kids ought to spend some daily hours in places such as parks, gardens or in the countryside. Physical activity is paramount to a person’s wellness, even more at a young age; besides, it would prevent obesity and subtle manipulation from TV and the internet.

That doesn’t mean there are no downsides. It’s difficult to be outdoorsy if you dwell in a 50 sqm-flat downtown or if you reside in a bad dodgy neighbourhood. In that case, we may want these children to stay indoors, watching the TV and being looked after.

However, the most crucial element in this regard is, in my opinion, parenting style. We’ve been breeding a generation of “helicopter parents”, hovering constantly over their offspring in search for hidden threats. Media play a big role in this, as they blow everything out of proportion: there’s rather plenty of evidence that such fears are irrational.

To sum up, I do admit there are pros and cons in letting the kids stay less indoor, but I firmly believe there’s a lot more to gain than to lose.

💬 And here it is. Too hard? Too long? If you prepare well, you’re going to nail it.

Any textbook to improve my Essay writing skills?

Actually, you know what? Most prep books for the FCE exam focus enough on the Essay. Why? Because it’s the only Writing exercise you’re obliged to do, hence their emphasis.

Any of the books suggested in the main post about FCE are as good as a lemon sorbet in a summer heat wave. 🍦 You may find them here:

First Certificate in English (FCE): How to Ace it

You shall find plenty of instructions and examples there. Nevertheless, whatever your strategy, it is neeeeeeeeever a bad idea to review and strengthen your grammar . This can be an excellent ally of yours:

English Grammar in Use with Answers : I have a hard time taking grammar books in my hands, but this is well done.

FCE Writing: Article

The Article is one of the options you’re given in the Part 2 of the FCE Writing: whether to go for this one or not, is your choice.

In the Article, you have to write an engaging text for a website, a magazine, a newsletter. ✏️ I n other words, in an article you describe, provide examples and articulate your opinion , in a way that you readers feel compelled to read it all.

In your opinion, what would be the upsides and downsides of learning programming languages? Is it something you would invite all young people to do?

The best article will be published next month.

  • Tap into your source of B2 vocabulary ;
  • write a sentence for each paragraph you’d like to include, then expand from such sentence outwards;
  • always keep in mind who’s your reader persona : age, social and educational background, etc.

General suggestions:

  • A catchy title is recommendable , but do not go Huffington Post-clickbait-ish.
  • A school newspaper requires a style that a tech magazine does not. Learn how to pass from informality to formality in your writing.
  • Away from the exam, read as many articles as you can given that they are your raw material.

#1 Keep it simple : if you can’t put on paper a Fareed Zakaria’s prose , don’t try. A couple of ideas, linear clauses, appropriate nouns and adjectives, good connectors: that’s all.

# 2 Care your GSP (Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation) : no point in writing the best article ever if you drop a wheater you leik it or not . 😱

#3 Never forget that you’re being evaluated for your English , which has to be B2. Not for your originality in terms of content or style: just for your English . Cambridge does not deliver Pulitzer prizes anyway.

💬 Now it’s your turn again: read the assignment below –> write it yourself –> check my version of it. ✒️

A real-life example of an Article

In your opinion, is learning programming languages necessary in today’s world? Is it something you would invite all young people to do?

The best article will be published next month in our college magazine.

💬 Again, COUNTLESS are the ways to write this. I’m just putting down one of them here below.

Human languages are the present: programming languages the future

In modern-day society, a good curriculum has no real appeal if not completed with the mastery of one or two foreign languages. But… Do you think it will always be this way? I don’t think so.

Sooner or later, human languages will be translated and interpreted by machines that will run on an entirely different set of languages: that of computers. Programming languages, we call them.

That’s the future. It will take ten years, perhaps twenty: but in that moment, these tools will be as popular and embedded into our daily life and professions, that ignoring Python, C+ or Java will be just as prejudicial as is nowadays not knowing English or French.

Hence, I strongly recommend our youth to start exploring the subject. It’s no more difficult than learning any other discipline: a bit of patience, some guidance, good materials.

So, guys: read about it, try coding, come to our so-called “Hackatons”, attend courses and hone your programming skills. Before you know it, it will be impossible to live without.

💬 And here we are. Nothing otherwordly, don’t you think?

Any material to boost my Article writing skills?

Of course. It is possible to accomplish this task even without this book, to be honest. On the other hand, if you want to learn how to write an article in an excellent way, you shouldn’t miss this one:

FCE Writing: Email

The Email is also one of the options you’re given in the Part 2 of this section, so it is not compulsory .

In this, you have to write in response to a certain situation , formal or informal, being careful to include everything you’re told according to the conventions of an email. 📧

You see this ad on an English-language literary magazine website.

Writing Contest

Ready to share your novel or poem with the world? Whether you’re a newbie or more established writer, you’re welcome to take part in our Fiction or Poetry contests.

Submit by sending us an email briefly introducing yourself, as a person and an author, beside a few words on your creation. Don’t forget to attach your work!

So now, what’s the purpose of the email?

  • To explain who you are , both in life and in the literary sphere,and
  • to succinctly describe the piece of fiction you’re participating with.

Informal or formal? Kind of in between here, don’t you concur? It’s a writing contest, granted, but the phrasing used in the announcement is not Victorian literary English . 👑

The cues are:

  • the Ready to share… rather than a more pompous Are you ready to share…
  • words like newbie , rather than a formal neophyte or even novice
  • you’re instead of you are
  • the exclamation mark in the end of the ad and the absence of pleases or other expressions of deference.
  • Prove that you master a B2 vocabulary : inner voice, the heart of the story, blurb, etc;
  • the conventions of the genre must be respected: opening, main body, closing formula;
  • you have to balance somehow the different points you’re asked to talk about: your biography, who you are as a writer and what’s your literary work about. 📗 You can be the new Charlotte Brontë but if you miss these three things you’re hardly going to succeed.

Again, it’s a useful exercise to take a few minutes to think of the words, idioms and expressions you may use, plus to draw a simple outline of how you’re going to unfold the email, paragraph after paragraph.

Points I want you to be aware of:

#1 The Email writing is more difficult than what it looks like.

Why? Because in life you may read a lot of essays, articles or reports so that you will have an idea of how to draft them even if you do not specifically train yourself for them. But emails? Not really.

That’s when textbooks and prep books come in very handy: they contain this stuff, so you should rely on them. 📩

#2 A maximum of 190 words is less than what you imagine.

Don’t get carried away or you’ll still be talking about yourself by word nº 220 and you still haven’t even glossed over your writing genius and your manuscript.

#3 Don’t warp your English in an effort to make it superduper cultured. 

It’s unlikely that this email will end up in a posthumous collection such as The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. At a B2 you know enough English to communicate richly, but to be Virginia Woolf-like, a great deal remains to be done.

💬 Time for you to test your skills: read the assignment below –> do it yourself –> check how I would have done it. ✒️

A real-life example of an Email

Scholarships 

Every year, two scholarships are offered to candidates from overseas who can show how our one-year course in English studies would help their career.

Scholarships cover fees, accommodation and food but not transport or personal spending money.

To apply, write an email explaining why you think you deserve a scholarship.

💬 I hope you really did it, rather than scrolling down endlessly 🤨 Anyway, this is what I’d write.

Dear Sir/Madam, I hope this email finds you well.

I am writing to your attention about the ad on your website, concerning the two scholarships for overseas students. I believe it would make a huge difference for me: allow me here to explain why.

As you know, Italy is a tourism-based country. Thus, I have been pursuing an education in Hotel Management and Sustainable Tourism. Unfortunately, in my country English teaching is not cutting-edge: neither within the education system, nor in the general society. As a result, undergraduates like me are forced to take matters into their own hands.

I have carefully read your one-year English studies program: I believe it would be very formative for me, beside being a boost for my employability.

This email would not be complete if I failed to mention either my excellent academic results (I hereby attach my curriculum) or, particularly, my limited budget. Hence, a financial aid in the form of a scholarship would be most welcome.

I look forward to hearing from you and please do not hesitate to contact me for any queries you may have.

Yours sincerely, Tyrion Lannister

💬 And here it is. As long as you study well, the Email does not constitute any danger.

Any textbook to improve my Email writing skills?

Yes, there’s one which is as good as a granita siciliana while laying on a beach in Favignana in August. 🍦

FCE Writing: Review

The Review is one of the options you’re given in Part 2: again, it is not compulsory .

The Review assesses how well you can describe and motivate your opinion about something you have first-hand knowledge of (the like of an electronic gadget, a theatre play, a holiday package, etc.), with a final suggestion to the reader. 📝 In other words, in a review you have to describe, detail and give your opinion.

A review may be published on different media: daily newspaper, online magazine, nationwide printed cultural journal. Hence, different styles for different outlets.

The Best Tablet of the Year

On our lifestyle webzine, we’ve been gathering reviews from our readership concerning the best tablet of the year. If you have recently purchased or used one, write us your opinion including brand, model, features and other data you deem relevant.

We will then publish a chart based on the devices which have received the most praises!

So, the assignment couldn’t be clearer. You have to include in your review (I am totally making stuff up here below between parenthesis):

  • Brand and name of the device (Maple iMoon), 📟
  • what did you use it for (to track supernovas in the sky in-sync with a telescope),
  • relevant features (material, screen size, USB ports, Bluetooth, processor, battery life, pre-installed Apps, front camera lenses, etc.),
  • what has mattered the most for you (next-gen processing speed but short battery life, for instance),
  • a resume of your opinion and a recommendation to other readers (not the best piece of equipment for pros but good value for money for amateurs). ✔️
  • Brag about your B2 vocabulary : screen-to-body ratio, headphone jack, processing power , etc;
  • if you are utterly uninformed about the matter (i.e. technology here), you may want to skip a review like this. On the other hand, if you’re an electronic gadget buff, tune down your prose . No mere mortal understands stuff like “a 16MB Intel Smart Cache behind a 1080p non-touch capacitive display would earn my praise only with a our USB-C SD carbon fibre card adapter”;
  • organise carefully your review in sequential paragraphs .

#1 Choose a title that is alluring and at the same time gives the readers an idea of what to expect from your review. 💯

#2 It’s a good thing to read reviews profusely in preparation of the exam.

A brief summary of your go-to resources:

– Gizmos: Techradar – Restaurants & Hotels: Tripadvisor – Books: Goodreads – Movies: BBC Film Reviews

It’s good to remark that most of the reviews you’ll find over the Internet are user-generated but not reviewed by a proofreader : nevertheless, at a B2 level you should be proficient enough to tell the bad from the good.

#3 Don’t get lost in the analysis that you forget to include your final recommendation .

💬 Your turn: read carefully the assignment –> do it –> have a look at my attempt. ✒️

A real-life example of a Review

The following announcement has been published in your English-language university website magazine.

Film reviews wanted!

Have you recently watched a film in which you particularly liked the main character?

Write us a review of the film explaining what the main actor did and why in your opinion he deserves praise. Tell us also to whom you would recommend this film to other viewers.

We will publish the best review in our magazine.

💬 Not an easy one. Still, we need to be prepared. Here’s my piece.

The Call of the Wild review: a light-hearted, comforting story

The latest adaptation of Jack London’s most famous novel, directed by Chris Sanders, won’t satisfy the sophisticated appetite of our most salacious critics, but it does have an appeal, in my opinion.

Starring Harrison Ford as gruff Thornton and a CGI imposing dog as Buck, the film will likely become a young adult’s classic. Unfolding in the northern wilderness, the story is about two losers, harshly beaten by life, that come to recognize one another and team up.

I found that Ford’s acting is convincing, not entirely so that of the computer-generated Collie-St. Bernard mongrel: at times it falls short of nowadays’ FX standards, besides conferring the dog an incomprehensible, semi-supernatural ability to understand the English language.

The other characters’ performances are not subpar, nor are they Oscar-winning. There are no cliffhangers or unexpected plot twists, as it’s easy to imagine.

All in all, in my opinion is worth seeing, for those that are in search of an eighty minute-long solace, an unadventurous film evolving among the jaw-dropping Alaskan landscapes. One to relax, rather than reflect.

💬 This is one of the hundred reviews one may jot down. The genre has its own peculiar traits, but it entirely doable, as you can see.

Any volume to ameliorate my Review writing prowess?

Not really, which is a pity. However, you may want to dissect the book below.

It is not specifically for this type of text, but considering the insane variety of reviews there can be, it’s a terrific idea to review your vocabulary (no pun intended):

FCE Writing: Letter

The Letter is an option you’re given in Part 2, among others. Thus, it is not compulsory .

In the Letter, you have to write a written communication to a friend, a relative, an editor in chief, a head hunter, etc. ✍️

A pet to care for

Two English-speaking friends have accepted to take care of your turtle while you’re abroad for three months, but they’d like to know more in detail what it entails. You thank and inform them through a letter.

So, it isn’t so complicated, is it?

  • They’re friends, so the language has to be informal ;
  • first you thank, then you provide instructions ;
  • you begin, end and fill the email with B2 words and expressions, in a laid-back tone.

What are some basic principles you should follow in this part of the FCE Writing?

  • Don’t let the informality of the letter fool you . You still have to prove that you know proper English;
  • you can steer a bit the composition in the direction you prefer : food, shelter, special needs of the turtle, if you prefer your friends to come at your place versus you bringing a terrarium to theirs; 🐢
  • A letter is similar to, but not identical, an email. Respect the differences .

#1 The example I brought up above is that of an informal letter, but some – such as job applications – are so not informal. You need to be equally prepared for both styles .

#2 Just as other types of writing, you may hardly have in your daily life the chance to send and receive letters of any kind . It seems so from the Eighties now. 📨 A couple of good textbooks and prep books are what you need for this.

#3 No exception to the GSP rule (care your Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation): it’s friends you’re writing to but neither you are allowed to misspell nor to use abomination like b4 for “before”, 2 for “to” or bcz for “because”.

💬 Time to practice the Letter! As usual: read the assignment as carefully as you can –> write your composition –> compare it with mine below. ✒️

A real-life example of a Letter

You met an old ex colleague at a trade fair, when he informed you his current company has been looking for an experienced account manager in the publishing business.

You write a cover letter to the head of Human Resources that will have your CV attached. In the letter, you briefly introduce yourself, mention a few highlights of your profile and ask for an interview.

💬 A cover letter, an evergreen. Here’s how I’d do it.

Dear Mr Gladstone,

I’m writing under the suggestion of my former coworker, Mr Mormont, whom I have recently met at the press trade show in Zurich: there, he made me aware that your company is in need of an accomplished salesperson: I’d like to be included in the recruitment process.

I know your company to be one of the top-five providers of marketing services to publishing enterprises: ambition and commitment seems to be in the DNA of your firm, so they are of mine.

As you can see in the hereby attached curriculum, I’m a young yet experienced key clients administrator in the same field, with a proven track record. My educational background is in International Relations, which comes extremely useful when dealing with firms from all over the world. The fluent knowledge of French and Spanish complete my profile.

I’d be honoured to have an interview with you at a mutually convenient time. In the meantime, in case of further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

I look forward to speaking with you about this opportunity and thank you for the time taken to read this.

Sincerely, Alys Karstarck

💬 No need to write about insanely overqualified profiles, as long as your English is correct and appropriate.

Is there a book I can use to scribbles letters better than now?

Yes and no. I’d suggest you the book below: it does focus partially on emails, and it has a business inclination. Having said that, it’s a good book to study : formal language is formal language in business, in the FCE Writing and elsewhere.

FCE Writing: Report

The Report is one of the options you’re given in the Part 2 of the FCE Writing: again, it is not compulsory . In the Report, you have to explain facts and express a recommendation.

After a class discussion, your English teacher has asked students to write a report on the role of pets in modern families. You have to include positive but also negative outcomes, making a recommendation on how to curb these latter.

  • A title isn’t required but neither is forbidden: add it if you come up with a good one;
  • information has to be orderly. A paragraph structure is paramount, and if you want, you can give each paragraph a heading; 📐
  • don’t gloss over the requirements of the report to jump straight to recommendations.

#1 Choose a report if you’re knowledgeable about the topic.

All reports follow a similar scheme, therefore there’s a lot that you can learn and use in each of them, whatever the topic is.

However… do not choose the report just for this reason. Neither should you be up for it because you like the topic. You have to consider, first and foremost, how much you know about the theme . 🧐

To follow up on the example given above, you may love pets, have two dozens of them at your place and want to discuss it: whatever! The question is: are you able to write authoritatively about it? Passion about the topic does not help: mastery of it does.

#2 Spend time planning carefully to save time writing.

That’s it. Four to five minutes spent outlining your report are going to save you many minutes later when you do the actual writing.

It does not have to be rocket science. A very primitive plan could be:

  • Recommendations

For each of these four parts, jot down ideas ; then, sentences, vocabulary, phrasal verbs and idioms you may use.📏 Then, attack the task and start writing. Why is it effective? Because without a plan, most of us get lost in the meanders of our brain.

You might spend twenty minutes writing only to realize afterwards that:

  • You’ve gone off topic ,
  • you haven’t balanced the pros with the cons,
  • you have just made a long recommendation from the first line to the last.

#3 Headings may come to your rescue.

A report is one of these kinds of text in which headings help to define a clearer structure of the text. You certainly do not put them in a letter or email.

You know what? If for whatever reason you haven’t got plenty to say, you may want to include headings to increase your word count . 🆒

It has to be wisely done, of course: if they’re just paraphrasing what’s below them and as long as the paragraphs they’re on top of, hmmmm, not a good thing.

💬 Time for you to practice the Report: read the assignment –> do it –> check my own below. ✒️

A real-life example of a Report

Y ou see this announcement on your city council website.

We are conducting research about how to save water in our town. We would like to hear our citizen’s feedback and ideas on the matter: what are we doing well? Which area of improvements do you see? What would you propose?

💬 Water management: one of the most common topics. You can’t be caught off guard.

The aim of this report is to assess the current situation in our town regarding the usage of water and how to reduce it. What follows is the result of my own investigations: recommendations are given to the best of my knowledge.

In our city, this matter is particularly relevant as it lays on a basin characterised by the scarcity of water resources. Frankly, I haven’t seen any environment-minded policies so far, that’s why I welcome such forms of citizen participation.

I am told that our Urban Cleaning Services use non-potable water to clean streets and waste containers: that’s an excellent approach, but it’s far from being enough.

There is a battery of measures that could be implemented, among which:

  • Substituting sprinkling irrigators in parks with more efficient dripping systems,
  • making new buildings water-efficient,
  • recurring to underground tanks to recover rainwater in public buildings,
  • refurbishing existing housings with water-saving taps and bath-wares.

To sum up, some proposals do need a minimum budget to be implemented: perhaps, we can start from the cheapest, most cost-effective ones, to grow in ambition according to what the municipal funds allow.

💬 Here it goes. No need to solve world’s water issues: just to deliver a fair text, with a few ideas woven in clear sentences and paragraphs.

Would I recommend a textbook in order to learn to write better reports?

I know a few about improving the way we write reports in general : How to Write Reports and Proposals by Patrick Forsyth is arguably among the best, though it does not focus on the FCE.

Cambridge English: First – Writing: conclusions

We have come to the end of this post about the FCE Writing section. I hope to have clarified one main point: no need to stress in the FCE writing task .

Unlike the other sections, here you have a degree of freedom to include structures you know and language you are proficient in. If you follow the advice listed here, your FCE Writing task will be marvellous.

Have you missed the main guide about the FCE exam? Here you have it ⬇️

Having said that…

  • Would you like to suggest something about this post? ➡️ Leave a comment below.
  • Did you find the post useful? ➡️ Share with friends, relatives and fellow English learners.
  • Do you need further help with the FCE Writing? ➡️ Contact me . I’ve been assisting for years learners like you to pass the FCE exam with flying colours. These colours:

FCE with CAE grades

Wash your hands, sneeze into your elbow, keep learning English and write a lot. I wish you the best. 😉

Your personal language exam trainer, Fabio

Anything else I can help with?

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I have browsed a lot of websites about this and I have NEVER found such a complete review of FCE Writing. Sir, I’d like to hire your services. I need to take FCE soon. Thank you.

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How to Write an Essay for B2 First (FCE) Writing

Luis @ kse academy.

  • noviembre 24, 2019

As you probably know already, Cambridge English exams usually have some or all of the following parts: Reading, Writing, Use of English and Listening. In this post I am going to talk about the FCE Writing B2 part and, more specifically, about how to write an essay for FCE Writing . We will see a good example of an essay for FCE and you can check out a full FCE Writing Guide where you can find more examples of emails , letters and other types of writings.

Essay Sample Answer

Este artículo también está disponible en castellano.

The Ultimate B2 First Writing Guide: 15 B2 Writing Sample Tasks and 300+ Useful Expressions (Guías de Writing para Exámenes de Cambridge)

What are the parts of the FCE Writing?

The First (FCE) Writing has only two parts. For each part, you must write a composition which will depend on the instructions you receive for each task. For the  first part , you will always be asked to  write an essay , as it is the only option provided. However, in the  second part , they allow you to choose one out of 3 options. These include  different types of writing , which are : letters/emails ,  articles ,  reviews and  reports . Each piece of writing must have between 140 and 190 words , approximately.

Since they are different types of writing , the language and structures to use will also differ. But that’s what I’m here for, to explain to you exactly how to write each part. And today, I’m starting with  how to write an essay .

How to Write an Essay for FCE Writing

An  essay is an opinion writing with which we analyse a topic , a situation or an issue from different points of view , providing different arguments and expressing our opinion about it. For this reason, an  essay must have the following features:

  • Purpose: What we usually do with an essay is to analyse and assess a topic, situation or issue which, in some way, is interesting or controversial. It is normally set as a writing task after a class debate. In the exam, you have to imagine the debate, obviously.
  • Tone and style: Given that you’re writing about a  serious or controversial issue , an essay is written in a formal style, so we must stick to an objective tone and style . Our language must be formal, thus avoiding words that are simply too common or generic (E.g.:  things, stuff, get,   etc.) and contractions (E.g.:  can’t, don’t, won’t,  etc.).
  • Structure: Like every piece of writing,  an essay must present a defined structure . For starters, we can choose either to give it a title or not. Personally, I would say that it is more appropriate to have an essay with title . Then, the body must be divided into introduction, idea 1, idea 2, idea 3 and conclusion. This means that, in general,  essays must have 5 paragraphs ,   although it is not entirely necessary.
  • Opinion:  There are countless ways of expressing your opinion in an essay, so you must choose the one that suits you best. However,  it is advisable to remain impartial throughout your writing and give your opinion only in the last paragraph , as a conclusion. But, as I say, it is optional. The most important thing is that you justify everything you say in your essay.
  • Coherence: Coherence is essential in every type of writing, but especially in an essay. As it tends to be an argumentative text, you must avoid writing incoherent paragraphs that have nothing to do with one another. Your ideas must  follow a logical order and be well connected with appropriate linkers .

FCE Writing Essay Example

Now that we are familiar with the  characteristics of an essay for First (FCE) Writing , let’s take a look at an  example of an essay at B2 level , both at the task and at a sample answer.

Instructions of an Essay

In the following image you can see the instructions of an essay which involves a typical topic, that of the environment:

How to Write an Essay for FCE sample task / cómo escribir un essay para Fce ejemplo actividad

In these instructions, we must pay attention to the following:

  • The  first paragraph introduces the topic: … different ways in which you can protect the environment.
  • The  second sentence is usually the same in every task:  Write an essay using  all the notes…
  • In the box , you are given the main topic as a question and they give you something to talk about:  recycle, using bicycles and walking, your own idea . As you can see, you have to come up with the third idea, something connected to the topic which is not provided in the exam task.

Given the model task above, each paragraph will correspond to a different idea, apart from the introduction and conclusion. Again, it is only natural to have 5 paragraphs. So, the best way to know how to write an essay for FCE Writing is to take a look at an  example of an actual essay for FCE Writing :

How to Write an Essay for FCE sample answer / cómo escribir un essay para Fce ejemplo respuesta

At first sight, the essay has  a title and 5 paragraphs (introduction + idea 1 + idea 2 + idea 3 + conclusion). And if we stop to read the essay more carefully, we’ll notice the following things:

  • The paragraphs are visual and well defined , which is very important.
  • The title summarises the topic  of the essay. Another option is to use the question ( What can people do to help protect the environment? ) as title. However, it usually tends to be too long, so I prefer to summarise it into a shorter heading.
  • Introduction: it introduces the topic in a general way and it leads to the second paragraph (first idea).
  • Paragraph 2: it deals with idea 1.
  • Paragraph 3: it deals with idea 2.
  • Paragraph 4: it deals with idea 3.
  • Conclusion: we express our opinion to conclude and summarise the essay.
  • It uses connectors to define the development of the essay:  firstly, second, finally, etc.
  • It doesn’t use many contractions or pet words.
  • One of the things that
  • In the last few decades,
  • For this reason,
  • First, / Second, / Third,
  • By doing so,
  • For example,
  • In conclusion,

This is a good example of an essay for FCE Writing . By the way, you must bear in mind that it has been written to simulate a strong B2 level, without reaching C1.

FAQ: Do I get penalised for writing over 190 words?

This is the most typical question in this part of the exam and the answer is « yes and no «. Let me explain myself. Cambridge English examiners don’t count the number of words and penalise you based upon that fact alone. There’s a rumour going around among teachers and pupils that says that for every 10 words over 190, they take «this many» points off, but it is not true. However, think about this: if you’ve written 50 or 100 words more than asked, you are probably including irrelevant information to the task , right? Now that’s a reason for losing points. In the same way that if you  write under 140 words you are probably missing essential information , don’t you think?

For this reason, I always recommend writing up to 10 or 20 words over the limit. In this way, you won’t lose any points for including irrelevant information.

FCE Writing Guide with examples (pdf)

Although I intend to write more posts on how to do each piece of writing for FCE, if you don’t want to wait any more, simply download the official KSE Academy FCE Writing Guide . In this guide you will learn:

  • How to write an essay  and 3 examples.
  • How to write an article  and 3 examples.
  • How to write a review  and 3 examples.
  • How to write a report  and 3 examples.
  • How to write an email or letter  and 3 examples.
  • Over 300 useful expressions for every FCE Writing .

Would you like to see a sample of this guide? Here it is!

Did you find this useful?  Why not share it with other teachers and students of English? Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, y YouTube. 🙂

Luis @ KSE Academy

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Free English Lessons

Fce (b2 first) writing exam (essay) – video.

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FCE Writing Essay thumbnail

In this lesson you can learn how to write an essay for the Cambridge FCE exam , step by step.

You’ll see exactly what to do at each stage in the fce writing essay section, and how to get the best possible fce score ., there are four steps to the writing process. you’ll see what to do at each step, then you’ll learn how the writing is assessed., 1. how to analyse your fce writing essay task.

FCE Writing Exam (Essay) - writing image

First, you need to read the FCE writing essay task and identify exactly what needs to be included.

Let’s look at a sample question:

You’ve recently had a discussion in English class about society. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay. Write an essay using all the notes and give reasons for your point of view.

University should be free for everyone. Do you agree or disagree? Notes 1. Taxes 2. Opportunity 3. Your own idea

So, what do you need to do? Most importantly, you need to say if you agree or disagree that university should be free for everyone.

You also need to use all the notes and give reasons for your point of view. That means your essay needs to include three central ideas: taxes, opportunity, and one other.

It also means that you need to reach a clear, justified conclusion. You can’t just say, ‘I agree’, or ‘I disagree.’ Think of it like this: you need to convince the examiner that your conclusion is correct.

You might think at this point, ‘yeah, obvious, thanks for the help, Kasia!’ Trust me; it’s harder than it sounds. Many FCE essays that we see don’t get these basic things right. It’s very easy to leave something out, or to go in the wrong direction.

Next, you’re writing this answer for your teacher so what style do you think it will be in? Formal or informal?

An essay should be formal. What does that mean?

Formal writing doesn’t use contractions, like ‘I’d’, ‘you’re’ or ‘don’t’. Write the full forms. You should also avoid using slang, colloquial vocabulary, or anything which sounds very conversational.

Next, think: what do you need to include?

You need to talk about taxes, opportunity, and you also need to add your own idea.

Even the ideas which are given to you—taxes and opportunity—are quite vague. That means you need to decide exactly what to talk about.

You also need to think about how to connect your ideas.

For example, with taxes you could say that if you pay taxes, then this should go back into society to benefit everyone. You could add to this by pointing out that having equal opportunities also benefits society. And for your own idea, you could talk about how people with higher education are more likely to be economically productive.

This is just one example, of course! There are many paths you could take.

Let’s talk about that in more detail.

2. How to Plan Your FCE Writing

Person writing a checklist

Here’s what you need to do when you plan your writing for the FCE writing essay.

First, you need to decide what your conclusion is going to be. Are you going to agree or disagree that university should be free for everyone?

Decide your conclusion first, because everything else in your essay needs to lead to it.

Secondly, you need to plan how many paragraphs you’re going to have, and what you’ll put in each one.

Thirdly, you need to make sure your paragraphs are connected to your conclusion.

Let’s see an example:

  • Taxes – parents pay taxes so children should get education. Children will pay taxes in the future.
  • Opportunity – education creates more equal society. Higher standard of living for everyone.
  • Economy – educated workforce helps the economy grow.
  • Conc. – agree with statement

Pause the video if you want some more time to read the plan.

You can see that we use the key idea of ‘education’ in the notes for each paragraph. Doing this can help you to stay focused and on-topic, because you’re connecting each paragraph back to the main idea of the question.

When you plan, make sure that each paragraph has a clear focus.

Every good paragraph starts with a topic sentence, which summarises the main point of the paragraph.

The sentences which follow are called supporting sentences. These include reasons and examples to support your topic sentence.

A good exercise during planning is to take a paragraph and think to yourself: “What’s this paragraph about?”

If you can answer that question in one simple sentence, then that’s a good sign. Hopefully, your plan is clear. However, if you can’t answer that question, that shows that your plan isn’t totally clear in your head.

Once you’ve finished your plan, you’re ready to write your answer!

3. How to Write Your Answer

In your candidate answer book, you will now write your essay.

Let’s look at a model answer:

  • There are many factors to consider when deciding if the university should be free or not. Among these are taxes, equality of opportunity, and the economy.
  • Firstly, a proportion of taxes should go to education. Some might say if you can afford university, then you should pay for it. But, this doesn’t take into account the fact that higher earners pay higher income tax so they are already contributing more.
  • Secondly, by making university free for all, it creates more opportunitys for those from low-income backgrounds. Although they may still have difficulty meeting other costs such as accommodation it makes the playing field more level.
  • In addition, having an educated workforce is proven to help the economy grow. The more people with degrees there are, the higher the standard of living for everyone. So, more people will be able to pay taxes to fund the education of future generations.
  • In conclusion, free university ultimately benefits all members of society.

Pause the video to read, and start again when you’re ready.

First question: have we answered the question?

Yes: the conclusion states that ‘free university benefits all members of society.’ This shows that we agree that university should be free for everyone.

Next: have we used topic sentences?

Yes, we have. The first sentence of the essay tells you what the entire essay will be about.

Then, each paragraph’s topic sentence contains a key word from our plan. We have ‘taxes,’ ‘opportunities’ and ‘economy’.

Also, the topic sentences and paragraphs all reference the idea of ‘education’, either directly or indirectly. This shows that our points are relevant and connected to the task.

So, now you’re finished, right? No–there’s one more step. This answer is not bad, but it could be better.

4. How to Check and Improve Your Answer

Checkmark

The final step is to check your answer.

What type of things do you think you should look for?

Grammar, of course, but what else?

Check for spelling mistakes. Check for style—have you used any conversational language which doesn’t fit the tone of an essay like this?

Check your use of linking words and phrases. Many students overuse them; don’t use a linking word like nevertheless unless you’re sure it fits.

Check for repetition of vocabulary. Could you replace any simple vocabulary with something more advanced?

Look at our model answer again:

  • There are many factors to consider when deciding if the university should be free or not. Among these are taxes, equality of opportunity and the economy.
  • Secondly, by making university free for all, it creates more opportunitys for those from low-income backgrounds. Although they may still have difficulty meeting other costs such as accommodation * it makes the playing field more level.

The bold words are either mistakes, or they could be improved somehow.

How would you improve this? Pause the video while you read and decide.

The first problem is with grammar. Unless you’re talking about one specific university, you don’t use the.

Okay, what’s wrong with doesn’t? We’ve used a contraction! Don’t use contractions in your essay. So, it should be does not.

The next problem is a spelling mistake. When a word ends in ‘y’, it changes to ‘ies’ in the plural: opportunities .

Next is a punctuation mistake. There’s a comma missing. There are two clauses in this sentence and they need to be separated by a comma.

There’s nothing wrong with people with degrees but it’s quite basic. What else could you say?

You could say educated people, or even highly-educated people, either of which is slightly more elegant.

So is not a mistake, but we used so in the second paragraph already. You want to show the examiner your range of language, so here you could use something more precise like consequently.

Our conclusion is only one sentence, so let’s add an extra point. We’re still under the maximum word count. This could help us to state our opinion more clearly.

Let’s change it to:

  • In conclusion, free university should be free for everyone. It makes economic sense and ultimately benefits all members of society.

Here’s the final version of our essay:

  • There are many factors to consider when deciding if university should be free or not. Among these are taxes, equality of opportunity, and the economy.
  • Firstly, a proportion of taxes should go to education. Some might say if you can afford university, then you should pay for it. But, this does not take into account the fact that higher earners pay higher income tax so they are already contributing more.
  • Secondly, by making university free for all, it creates more opportunities for those from low-income backgrounds. Although they may still have difficulty meeting other costs such as accommodation, it makes the playing field more level.
  • In addition, having an educated workforce is proven to help the economy grow. The more highly-educated people there are, the higher the standard of living for everyone. Consequently, more people will be able to pay taxes to fund the education of future generations.

At this point, it’s looking good! Next, let’s focus on what you can do to produce a good FCE writing essay which will get a high score in your exam.

5. How to Improve Your Score

Your essay score is made up of four parts. For each part, you get a score from zero to five.

  • Content – how well the candidate has fulfilled the task
  • Communicative Achievement – how appropriate the writing is for the task
  • Organisation – how well the writing is put together
  • Language – focuses on vocabulary and grammar

First there’s Content . The mark scheme says this “focuses on how well you have fulfilled the task”. In other words, have you done everything you were asked to do?

This corresponds to step one of our writing process. Analyse the task carefully and make sure you do everything it asks you to. A good tip is to underline the key words in the task to help you identify what you need to do.

Next there’s Communicative Achievement . This “focuses on how appropriate your writing is for the task”.

Have you used the correct register? Have you used contractions? Basically: does your essay look and sound like an essay?

Then we have Organisation . This looks at “how the writing is put together”. Is it logical and organised? By planning your writing carefully, it will already be organised. Remember to plan your paragraphs carefully and write a clear topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.

You can also use linking words and phrases to make the connections between paragraphs even clearer.

In our essay, we used many linking words, including firstly, secondly, in addition, although, consequently and in conclusion. Look through the essay again, and note how the linking words and phrases are used. Can you find any more examples of linking words in the essay?

Finally, you have Language : vocabulary and grammar. The examiners will be looking for a range of language as well as how accurate it is. In step four, you saw how checking your essay can improve your language.

Are you worried that making mistakes will affect your mark? Of course, making a lot of mistakes will lower your mark, but remember this is only one part of your score.

For B2 level, the Cambridge mark scheme says, ‘Occasional errors may be present but do not impede communication.’ That means you can still score 5 from 5, even with some small mistakes.

But, hopefully, you’ll catch most of them when you’re on step four – checking and improving your answer.

You’ve seen how to write an essay for FCE, but you can use the same process for other Cambridge exams, including the CAE and CPE when you get that far.

Good luck with your exam preparation and let us know when you pass! Thanks for watching!

Keep practicing with more Free English Writing Lessons from Oxford Online English!

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Flo-Joe for Cambridge English Exams

Cambridge English: First

Check out students' answers to Flo-Joe's FCE Writing tasks with a teacher's feedback

  • Writing Class

Writing Class: Article

Task type: article.

Question You have seen the following competition in an magazine for young people:

Write your article for the magazine (around 140-190 words).

Makeover: Gabriel

Read Gabriel's answer to this question below. Try correcting the piece of writing yourself first: use the marking codes to think about what might be wrong (or what's good) about the piece of work. Then when you're ready, click the green buttons in the text for our feedback.

Content This is a full answer to the question, Gabriel. You have outlined the advantages of learning another languiage as well as identifying potential difficulties. The reader would be fully informed. Communicative Achievement You have written this in the style of an article and commincated your ideas clearly. It was an interesting article and the reader would be engaged throughout. Organisation You have used paragraphs effectively with a clear introduction, two main body paragraphs looking at different issues and a final conclusion. I think the second paragraph could be worked into your conclusion perhaps as it doesn't really link with what comes before in the introduction or after. You use connecting phrases, such as 'first of all', 'what is more', etc. to link all the different points you make about the pros and cons of learning another language. Language Your language control is good overall. I have highlighted some spelling mistakes (typing errors?) and rephrased certain phrases that didn't sound quite natural. Try to avoid the common error of missing out the 'it' when it's like a subject, e.g. '... it is very interesting...', and (finally) remember that languages have capital letters in English.

Get Feedback on your writing

Marking Code

/\ Word(s) missing

- Omit word

C Capitalization

O Organisation

P Punctuation

PE Poorly expressed

R Register/Formality

SS Sentence Structure

WF Wrong form

WO Word order

WT Wrong tense

WW Wrong word

FCE Info and Practice

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is it worth learning a foreign language essay fce

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IELTS essay, topic: Is learning a foreign language essential or a waste of time (opinion)?

  • IELTS Essays - Band 9

This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 5 Academic book, Practice Test 25

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people feel that learning a foreign language is an essential component of a child’s education. Others feel that learning a foreign language is often a waste of time that can be better spent on learning about technology and other more vocational subjects.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

is it worth learning a foreign language essay fce

Sample Band 9 Essay

Throughout the history of education, learning a foreign language or languages has been a constant component. Of course, many people feel that this is really an unnecessary part of education for everyone, but this is not a point of view that I share.

The opponents to learning a foreign language might argue that most people do not travel that often outside their own country. In addition to this, out of all the countries of the world, comparatively not many share the same language. Therefore, learning a foreign language will only be useful for the very limited time that one spends in a country where this language is used. For some people, the language might never be used in their entire lives. When one thinks about how much time and money are spent training language teachers, buying resources, going on trips and delivering lessons for such a negligible benefit, this would seem to be a very inefficient allocation of resources.

However, the benefits of learning a foreign language go further than just the ability to use it from time to time on a holiday or business trip. Firstly, through learning one language, one gains an understanding to some extent of how all languages work. Thus, no matter where people might end up around the world, the knowledge of language can be of use. Secondly, with the study of a foreign language, one also opens oneself up to other cultures. This allows in turn an appreciation for different points of view and belief systems. With an ever-shrinking world due to globalisation, the ability to empathise and understand the people from other countries is vital to reducing conflict and creating a more tolerant society. Finally, quite simply learning languages is excellent for the improvement of general cognitive skills.

It seems to me that learning a foreign language, therefore, is more than just gaining the ability to speak a few words of a foreign tongue. It is part of intellectual and social development and needs to be continued for everyone in today’s schools.

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Foreign Language IELTS Essay: IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Samples

  • Updated On December 14, 2023
  • Published In IELTS Preparation 💻

Writing Task 2 of the IELTS exam has displayed a large variety of questions over the years. However, there are still some general themes and topics that are often repeated in Task 2 of this English proficiency test. One of these recurring themes is the new language or the foreign language theme.

Table of Contents

In this theme, you can be asked to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of learning a different language belonging to any of the foreign countries. Additionally, you can also be asked to express your own opinion on the topic. This blog shares detailed information about Foreign Language IELTS Essay. Before we get deeper into the topic and start discussing model answers, let’s walk through some general tips that can help you in leaving a good impression on the examiner about your English language skills in task 2.

Foreign Language IELTS Essay

Tips to Ace the Foreign Language Essay Writing Task 2 IELTS

Although you can find an endless number of relevant examples for the essay writing task in IELTS, there really is no fixed format that can guarantee you a good band score in the writing section. So, what really works in helping you get a good score in task 2?

  • A strong introduction and conclusion that are in coherence with the topic assigned: This will immediately get your examiner hooked onto the paragraphs written inside your piece and will leave a great impression on them!
  • Use of refined vocabulary along with excellent use of grammar: Making use of good (and sometimes complex) vocabulary accompanied by an accurate usage of the English grammar is a pre-requisite for getting a good score in writing. It shows the examiner that your own knowledge of the language is vast.
  • Providing relevant examples from different parts of the world: Many aspirants miss out on supporting their arguments along with good examples from either their own country or a different country. This leads to them losing out on marks in task 2.

Following these three tips will really catapult your writing task 2 score, which will have a greater impact on your overall band score for the writing section. To make the application of these tips more clear, let’s take a look at some of the sample answers for the foreign language theme.

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Foreign Language IELTS Essay: IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Samples

Foreign Language IELTS Essay Samples

Question – Some people believe that the only reason for learning a new/foreign language is for travelling or working in a foreign land. While others argue that there are many more reasons as why someone should learn a new language apart from their native language. You have to discuss both these arguments and give your own opinion on the following topic. Make sure to give reasons for your answers and provide examples. Minimum word limit – 250 words

Foreign Language IELTS Essay: IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Samples

Sample Answer 1

Learning a second language or a foreign language is linked to many advantages that far surpass the sole reasons of learning a new language for travelling or working in a foreign land. However, for the sake of playing the devil’s advocate, I’ll say that some people belonging to a different school of thought consider better job opportunities and travelling to be the only motive behind learning a foreign language. I am of the opinion that there are other reasons like learning about a foreign culture, and the bright prospect of cognitive development that propel many monolingual people to study a new language. With ever-increasing globalization and the opening up of international barriers, more and more people choose to emigrate to new and foreign lands in the hope of better job prospects. This often requires them to learn a new tongue. For instance, many people prefer learning languages like English, Spanish, and French, rather than the Russian language because countries speaking the former tongues have shown more affinity towards emigrants and provide a multitude of better job opportunities. This makes many people believe that jobs and sometimes travel are the only driving forces for learning a new tongue, especially for a young learner. On the other hand, some people including myself have researched the pros and cons of learning a foreign language thoroughly and have found that the pros far outweigh the drawbacks. The onset of memory ailments like dementia can be slowed down by cognitive development that comes with learning a foreign language. Furthermore, multilingual people are more confident and can easily acclimate themselves to new and alien surroundings by the virtue of their communication skills that have been expanded and upscaled. They find it easy to overcome language barriers and truly become global citizens speaking the global language. In conclusion, to go through the tough process of honing effective communication skills in a third language or a second language, people realise that it is not just for the sake of travel or work that they are doing this process. Instead, it stems from a deeper love for the language and the confidence that speaking a new tongue instills in them. Question – When living in a foreign country where you have to speak a new language, you can face serious social and practical problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons and examples in your answer and write at least 250 words.

Foreign Language IELTS Essay

Also Read: SAT Writing & Language Test 2022

Sample Answer 2

Language barriers arguably form the backbone of the biggest social and practical problems that people living in a foreign land have to face and overcome often. In my personal opinion, it can also spark serious problems in various countries, however, the widespread use of technology in curbing these issues to a certain extent over the past few decades. People belonging to different cultures can have issues in understanding each other because of speaking different languages and sometimes even because of different ways of pronunciation of the same words. Migration is not on the rise in the twenty-first century and people often move to distant lands in hopes of jobs, travel, and sometimes studying. In such a scenario not speaking the land’s language can become a basis for social problems like discrimination, racism, etc. Interestingly enough, technology has played a pivotal role in curbing the extent of practical problems faced by people when moving to a new land without being savvy with the foreign language. For instance, there are many web-based applications that do the translation job for people and save them the trouble of having to explain their point to the natives merely through vague hand gestures.

By way of conclusion, I stand firm on the point that social problems can far exceed practical problems when migrating to a foreign land without being fluent in the foreign language and perhaps, some language learning could really help in becoming a part of the foreign culture quicker and better. Although, as far as practical problems are concerned, technology is a boon that is eliminating most of them.

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1. how do i practice the ielts writing at home.

Ans: The best way to  practice  writing for IELTS is by looking at sample answers and practising as many themes as you can. You can also show this to a tutor or an online learning platform’s mentors like the ones at  Leap Scholar  to ensure that you are on the right path.

2. What is the ideal format for IELTS writing task 2?

Ans: There is no single ideal format for writing. As you practice you will notice that for different themes, you can have many different formats. You should use the one you’re most confident with in the exam.

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Ans: IELTS writing should be formal.

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Is it worth learning a foreign language

Is it worth learning a foreign language, first certificate in english essay model answer, with teacher's notes.

is it worth learning a foreign language essay fce

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is it worth learning a foreign language essay fce

Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education( RBSE) conducts final board examinations for the students of Rajasthan. It is a school level exam that examines the students who have completed a prescribed course of study Rajasthan Madhyamik Question Paper 2021 and awards certificates to the qualifying students. The board exams. RBSE 10th model paper is available on this website in PDF format for the students to download.

For the academic year 2022, the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council has released the AHSEC HS Question Paper 2022 for all subject sample question paper with suggested sample question paper for Assam HS Model Paper 2022 state government and private college class 11th and 12th standard of Higher Secondary course Arts, Science, and Commerce group general, curriculum, and vocational students.

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Some People Say That The Only Reason For Learning A Foreign Language Is To Travel Or Work In A Foreign Country

by Manjusha Nambiar · Published November 22, 2016 · Updated February 17, 2024

Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is to travel or work in a foreign country. Others say that these are not the only reasons why someone should learn a foreign language. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

These are IELTS essay samples written by our students. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.

Band 7.5 IELTS Essay Sample

In the recent years, the world has seen an unprecedented increase in the number of people learning a foreign language. Some people claim that the reason to learn a foreign language is to travel or work in overseas countries. Conversely, others believe that these are not the only reasons why people should learn a foreign language; I agree with this statement.

It is true that people are keen to learn a foreign language in order to travel or work in a foreign country. To be clear, in the last few years, globalization left a huge impact on the economy of all nations and promoted the growth of multinational companies. Therefore, the rise in the number of people working overseas resulted in an increase in the demand for learning a foreign language. In addition, people need to learn foreign language if they want to travel to overseas countries. For example, if people want to visit a foreign country, they have to learn basic conversations in the local language to communicate with native speakers in daily life.

Nonetheless, traveling or working is not the only reasons why some people learn foreign languages. People need a foreign language for their studies. Many academic programs make learning a foreign language compulsory. When students learn a foreign language, they can understand and appreciate diverse cultures. People learn new languages for job purposes as well. For instance, many professional jobs in the UK and Australia require IELTS or TOEIC certification. Some learn languages because they love it.

In conclusion, the number of people learning a foreign language has increased dramatically. There are several reasons for this. While some of these are work or travel related, others are purely personal or recreational in nature.

Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is to travel or work in a foreign country – Band 9 IELTS essay sample

There are multiple benefits to learning a foreign language. Of course, work and travel are definitely good reasons to learn a foreign language, but those are not the only the reasons to be bilingual or multilingual.

Learning a second or third language benefits the learner in so many ways. Studies have shown that bilingual or multilingual people are smarter than monolingual people. By simply learning a foreign language, we can increase our brain activity. This, in turn, will make us smarter and sharper. Studies have even shown that learning a foreign language can delay the onset of memory ailments like dementia.

Another advantage of learning a foreign language is that it allows us to learn more about the culture associated with that language. Language and culture are intrinsically linked. Actually, it is impossible to understand a foreign culture without learning their language first. By learning a foreign language, we also get to enjoy the literature and music in that language. Of course, translations are available but they will never beat the original. For example, the Russian language has numerous classical novels written in it. While these novels have been translated to many languages, one has to learn Russian to be able to read the original. Also, in this age of the internet, people who are fluent in a foreign language can find work as translators or interpreters within their country itself. They do not necessarily have to go abroad to use their knowledge of international languages.

To conclude, considering all the points mentioned above it is not hard to see that travelling to a foreign country or working in a foreign country are not the only reasons to learn  a foreign language. Actually, there are many other equally compelling reasons to learn a second or third language and in this age of globalization people get plenty of opportunities to use their foreign language skills within their country itself.

Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is to travel or work in a foreign country – Band 9 essay sample 2

Travel and work are obviously the most popular reasons to learn a foreign language. People all over the world learn foreign languages like English, German and Spanish with the objective of living or working in countries where these languages are spoken. This, however, does not mean that someone who has no intention to visit or work in a foreign country does not have to learn a foreign language. Actually, learning a second or third language benefits everyone.

Language improves our cognitive skills. Studies have shown that bilingual people are smarter than people who speak only one language. Multilingual people are even smarter. Learning a foreign language helps our brain in many ways. It allows us to make connections faster and remember things better. It is not surprising that bilingual people earn higher salaries and make better relationships.

Thanks to the advent of the internet, the world has become a village. We can now meet people from all parts of the world online. If we speak a foreign language, we will also be able to talk to them, share ideas and get answers for our questions. This clearly explains why an inability to speak a foreign language is a disability in this modern world. When we learn a foreign language, we also develop respect for the culture of the people who speak that language. This understanding and admiration for other cultures forge better relationships between people and nations.

To conclude, there are numerous benefits to learning a foreign language. Travel and work are just two of them. Language skills also make us smarter and better.

Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in foreign country – Band 7.5 IELTS essay sample 2

Nowadays, some people argue that a person should learn another language in addition to their native language only for travel, work or study in a foreign country. Others say that there are lot of advantages from studying another language well. Both views will be discussed in this essay along with my opinion.

Evidently, if we want to travel, work or do our higher education in another country we should first learn their language very well. Because when we are in a foreign country we should communicate with native speakers who live there to achieve our different purposes. For instance, when we go to a supermarket to buy vegetables, fruits or anything else we have get help from people who work there. In a situation like that if we don’t know how to speak their language, both of us will face numerous problems. Likewise, proficiency in the foreign language is essential for pursuing a degree in that country.

However, there are other advantages as well for learning a foreign language. If we can speak or write another language like natives, there are many job opportunities available in our country as well. For instance, today English is the most popular international language all over the world. If we learn English, we have lots of opportunities in our country as well. For example, we can work in airports, embassies, banks, hotels, travel agencies and so on. We can also work as translators or interpreters. Another advantage of learning a foreign language is that we can enjoy the music, movies and fiction in that language without having to depend on subtitles or translations.

To conclude, in my opinion, there are several benefits to learning a foreign language. Of course, it makes it easy to work or travel in a foreign country. Proficiency in a foreign language also offers several other benefits including more job opportunities in our own country.

Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is to travel or work in a foreign country – Band 7.5 IELTS essay sample

In the modern world, boundary lines between countries are becoming thinner thanks to newer communication technologies and open trade practices. While some people are of the opinion that the main purpose of learning a foreign language is to work or travel abroad, I believe that the reasons go beyond that.

On the one hand, people who travel to live in foreign countries usually learn the language of their host in order to have smooth integration and interaction with locals in the country. In addition, international students are often required to learn a foreign language especially if that is the language of instruction in the institution of learning. For instance, Chinese students are required to learn English language before they can be admitted into universities in the United Kingdom. Another reason for learning a foreign language is that it would help immigrants secure employment faster.

On the other hand, the need to learn / master a foreign language extends far beyond travel and employment reasons. Firstly, learning a foreign language is the easiest way to understand the culture, traditions and reasoning of the people who speak it. In addition, recent advancement in technology has made trade and commercial activities between various countries easier through the internet. For example, a retailer in Nigeria can interact with and order goods from production companies in China. Such transactions necessitate the learning of the foreign language.

In conclusion, learning a second language is the key to an endless world of opportunities for people looking to work or travel abroad as well as for those who prefer to stay in their own country.

Do you have an essay on this topic? Submit it below in the comments for a free band score estimate.

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is it worth learning a foreign language essay fce

Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

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is it worth learning a foreign language essay fce

Opinions exists that journey to a foreign land for either travel or work is the main reason for acquiring a new language learning skill while others are against this viewpoint. In this essay we will discuss both these perspectives whereas I firmly believe that though major reason could be travel and work however it cannot be the sole reason to gain knowledge of new language. While one takes a venture to a new nation it becomes utterly logical to know the native language of that country, simple reason is that work and daily travel becomes unproblematic. Natives often mingle freely with people who speak same lingual. It shows the effort and intention of the learner to be a part of that society. For example: while travelling overseas, its will be more comfortable while taking a taxi or while he is doing shopping at a local market if one knows the regional language. It can also be of great help if someone is in trouble while being aboard seeking assistance from local authorities comes handy. It comes handy while migrating to overseas. Whereas above stance cannot be the only reason. Study of a new language has proven to boost brain power; it also improves memory and enhances multi tasking. Learning a new language inspires creativity, the process encourages the students to learn, understand, and imbibe their culture and tradition in question. Learning something new is an achievement in itself which in turn boost confidence. For example when you learn to study and speak another language that alone gives you confidence. To conclude, considering the global economy’s closely-knitted nature, up-skilling oneself by learning new language opens the door to many more opportunities of self development and enhances your connection with other cultures.

is it worth learning a foreign language essay fce

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COMMENTS

  1. Essay

    1. transport 2. rivers and seas 3. ………………………… (your own idea) Example Answer (Grade: 3) Example Answer (Grade: 3-4) Model Answer (Grade: 5) FCE Essay Examples: Topic (Fashion) Example exam task: In your English class you have been talking about the fashion industry. Write an essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view.

  2. Part 1

    Writing: Part 1. Test 1 / 25. Answer the question below. Write 140 - 190 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay on the dangers of social media, and how people can protect themselves. Do you think social media can be dangerous?

  3. Writing Example (Type: Essay)

    Tip: Remember that essay is an academic paper and must be written in the formal language. First and foremost, (introduce paragraphs), e specially for travelling it is bilingualism is (be precise) helpful when you (avoid personal language) / one can speak a foreign language, because you he or she can be confronted with unexpected situations.

  4. Writing Example (Type: Essay)

    Write your essay using all the notes. Student's Answer: "With the advent of globalisation people are more connected than in the past and this fact goes into the need to speak a universal language, that everyone can understand. For this reason at school is taught a foreign language school. Is this knowledge useful?

  5. Tips for the FCE Writing Section (B2 English)

    FCE Writing: Essay. The Essay is the only component of Part 1 of the Writing. It's compulsory. In it, you have to talk about a topic, mentioning two points you're provided plus a point of your own. 🖊️ In other words, in an essay you give info, you explain your viewpoint, you compare and contrast. Example:

  6. How to write an essay?

    The essay is a compulsory task to be completed in Part 1 of the writing section in the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) that is written to convince someone of something or to simply inform the reader about a particular topic. There is no single, method of successful writing essay.

  7. How to Write an Essay for B2 First (FCE) Writing

    Each paragraph has a clear purpose: Introduction: it introduces the topic in a general way and it leads to the second paragraph (first idea). Paragraph 2: it deals with idea 1. Paragraph 3: it deals with idea 2. Paragraph 4: it deals with idea 3. Conclusion: we express our opinion to conclude and summarise the essay.

  8. FCE (B2 First) Writing Exam (Essay)

    Download PDF In this lesson you can learn how to write an essay for the Cambridge FCE exam, step by step. You'll see exactly what to do at each stage in the FCE writing essay section, and how to get the best possible FCE score. There are four steps to the writing process.

  9. See this sample Article from the Cambridge English First (FCE) Writing

    You use connecting phrases, such as 'first of all', 'what is more', etc. to link all the different points you make about the pros and cons of learning another language. Language Your language control is good overall. I have highlighted some spelling mistakes (typing errors?) and rephrased certain phrases that didn't sound quite natural.

  10. FCE

    FC essay model question An essay. ① is always written for the teacher.. ② should answer the question given… ③ by addressing both content points and providing a new content point of the writer's own.. ④ should be well organised, with an introduction and an appropriate conclusion and should be written in an appropriate register and tone.. While it is possible to argue only one point ...

  11. Cambridge FCE: WRITING ABOUT FOREIGN LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE

    Oct 26, 2017 #1 Practicing for Cambridge FCE Task: Is learning to speak a foreign language as important these days as it was in the past? Write an essay giving your opinion. It is widely believed that improving skills in a new language is more important nowadays then it was previously.

  12. FCE Essay Topic: Learning an additional language is a good way to

    Sample essay: Learning a language broadens your horizons. Some even claim, myself included, that second language acquisition unquestionably helps secure your next position. So, why is speaking another language from employer perspective so important? Firstly, nowadays, companies hire a diverse range of employees from various backgrounds and ...

  13. 20 English Essay Topics/Questions

    Article navigation: B2 First (FCE) Essay: Example Topics / Questions B2 First (FCE) Essay: Download (PDF) An essay is a piece of writing in which you are asked to discuss a topic that might be controversial or relevant somehow. It usually follows a class discussion. The language of an English essay should be formal.Also, make sure that you justify all your ideas and that you use appropriate ...

  14. IELTS Band 9 essay, topic: Is learning a foreign language essential or

    You should write at least 250 words. Sample Band 9 Essay Throughout the history of education, learning a foreign language or languages has been a constant component. Of course, many people feel that this is really an unnecessary part of education for everyone, but this is not a point of view that I share.

  15. Writing Example (Type: Essay)

    Adding an appropriate title is definitely an attractive addition. Schools around the world, are searching for multiple ways to increase the skills of their students in language learning. It is said that (passive forms) the more languages a child speaks, the more opportunities (repeated comparatives) for travel and employment will have. Due to this, (cohesive devices) , numerous governments ...

  16. Foreign Language IELTS Essay: IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Samples

    Sample Answer 1. Learning a second language or a foreign language is linked to many advantages that far surpass the sole reasons of learning a new language for travelling or working in a foreign land. However, for the sake of playing the devil's advocate, I'll say that some people belonging to a different school of thought consider better ...

  17. Is it worth learning a foreign language

    In conclusion, I think it is worth learning foreign languages because if you speak foreign language you can communicate with foreigners and you can get a good job. (T.N. You repeat the introduction. Point out which is more important. At least 2 sentences.)

  18. IELTS Essay # 1111

    Sample Answer 2: While some people believe that the sole reason we should learn a foreign language is to visit or work in a foreign country, many others opine that the benefits of learning a different language are not limited to job and travel. This essay delves into both points of view.

  19. Learning a Foreign Language Essays

    by Dhruvisha Shah (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India) Some experts believe that is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages? Traditionally, children begin studying foreign languages at secondary school.

  20. IELTS essay about the reasons for learning a foreign language

    Learning a foreign language helps our brain in many ways. It allows us to make connections faster and remember things better. It is not surprising that bilingual people earn higher salaries and make better relationships. Thanks to the advent of the internet, the world has become a village. We can now meet people from all parts of the world online.

  21. Writing Example (Type: Essay)

    Firstly, (cohesive devices) when students know a foreign/secondary language it gives them more independence in their adult /mature life. For instance, travelling abroad is easier nowadays and being able to speak the local language of the places visited makes the experience even more enjoyable.

  22. Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language

    As such, learning a foreign language essentially strengthens your brain's memory as it forces it to recall newly learned information, the brain is then required to associate this information with mnemonics resulting in better retention. 5. Gives the mind a slight information processing edge. Learning a new language can prove to be a rather ...

  23. Learning Foreign Languages: What Are the Benefits? Essay

    Studying any foreign language improves your memory and can even prevent a possible onset of Alzheimer's disease (Jha par. 2). Studying a foreign language improves your ability to understand complex concepts and ideas in other fields of study (Bialystok and Martin 1). Studies have shown that learning foreign languages modifies the gray matter ...

  24. International Mother Language Day 2024

    Live Broadcast of International Mother Language Day 2024 from Independence Square, Colombo